


Navigating the Shitstorm

by Kessper



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Love Confession, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sibling Incest, Stridercest - Freeform, Stridercest Giftswap 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28495074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kessper/pseuds/Kessper
Summary: A relationship that started out as a joke quickly goes way too far in all the best ways.Or"Whoops, I did it again: I kissed a boy and I liked it."
Relationships: Dirk's Bro | Alpha Dave Strider/Dirk Strider
Kudos: 8
Collections: Stridercest Secret Santa





	1. Chapter 1

Their relationship started as a joke and as a way to fend off the hordes of reporters, which invariably hounded his brother. Single celebrities; eligible bachelors were always in since the vultures were always looking for a scandal; the juicier the better. So, what better scandal than the most eligible bachelor having a boyfriend? Not just someone he slept around with, or a one night stand, but a steady boyfriend or girlfriend. Judging by the rumors continually being churned out by the mill, Dirk was certain there wasn’t one.

So, one day, he’d told D to announce he was his boyfriend. He could take the fallout, and it wasn’t like anyone knew they were related since it hadn’t been so long ago they’d discovered that fact for themselves. Plus, if he could put the rumors to rest on his terms, the fallout he had to face wouldn’t be so bad. It seemed like a win-win, and one that his bro had been happy to accept, if but because he didn’t want to disappoint him or thought it would be a funny joke. That was fine by him; he was happy D was happy and would have an easier time navigating the shitsorm that was Hollywood. He’d never imagined things would get this far.

D had never imagined things would get so far. Dirk had only been trying to help. He always worried too much for the wellness of others, rather than himself, and feared he’d disappoint him. So, saying he was in a relationship with Dirk wasn’t a bad idea. It had seemed like that at first, all he’d been able to do was gape at his brother, speechless for one of the few times in his life, but he’d laid out the reasoning in a way that was almost impossible to resist. Perhaps, he should have known then that he wouldn’t be able to resist him either. It seemed so obvious in retrospect, especially since he’d only met his brother several months ago. Before that, he’d just been another fan he’d noticed at some of his gigs; neither of them had known their parents had, had another son eighteen years after the first, only to die in a suspicious accident not a year later. If he had raised him from the time he’d been a kid, he wouldn’t have had this problem.

Being in love with his brother didn’t feel like a problem to Dirk. It should have, but as much as he wanted to hate himself, he couldn’t hate himself for this. He could feel guilty, yes, but the moral guilt was astonishingly easy to put aside. All he had to do was look at his brother, and all felt right with the world. He was happy, he felt good, he couldn’t help but smile in a much too soft and vulnerable way, but always made D smile in return. He didn’t, couldn’t regret their first kiss, or all the ones stolen after the first.

A late-night after a premiere, the two of them stone-cold sober despite the epic partying, D had kissed his brother on the beach, under the light of the full moon. He’d just looked so happy, so content, walking beside him, hand in his, and shoulder bumping against his, that it had made almost too much sense to stop as gentle waves kicked at their ankles, turn Dirk by those gorgeous shoulders, and kiss him on the lips for the first time. He’d tasted of fancy food and a hint of sea salt and had melted against his mouth like the finest morsel of chocolate. It was one of the best kisses he’d had, and he couldn’t regret it for a moment.

Dirk knew he’d been in love with his brother ever since their first kiss at the beach. D’s lips on his had been an eye-opener as much as it had been a knee weakener. He’d never wanted to stop kissing this handsome hunk of a man, even as a wave had soaked them both to their knees. Fuck, he could have dragged him into the surf and divested him of his suit then and there and not regretted it, even if he died of hypothermia after. What a way to go. While he knew he was in love, he hadn’t known why. There were so many reasons: his kindness, passion, sense of humor, talent, and more, but none of those seemed like enough. He was a great man, larger than life, and deserved a reason to be loved that was just as great. No doubt D would have laughed at him, in good humor of course, for such thinking, but it was true. His brother deserved the best. He might not be that, but he knew what he had to do next.

He had known Dirk was in love with him from just a few days ago. There had been no grand sign to tip him off; it had come to him when he’d asked Dirk to sleep in his room. He’d just gotten back from Hollywood, exhausted and jetlagged despite the one hour time difference, and been met with a look of pure, childlike glee which had damned near melted his heart on the spot. He was 21 now, and in the moment, looked like someone who was getting the greatest gift in his life. He looked like he was in love, and then he’d flashed him that soft, happy smile which D realized was a special one reserved just for him. He’d then realized Dirk loved him in return, and they had a problem; they’d let this get too far. Even so, he wanted to push further. He shouldn’t have loved him, but he’d made a name of doing shit he shouldn’t have. What was one more thing? It was nothing, so he knew what he had to do next.


	2. Chapter 2

The beach where they first kissed was the perfect spot. It was secluded, quiet, and beautiful: A dark sea, surrounded by white sand, lit by a full moon just like that night four months ago. Coming here had been Dirk’s idea, so D had no qualms flying them out to enjoy some time together. It’d been too long, like an entire two and a half weeks, since he’d spent any quality time with him. Hounded by the media and work, it’d been too long since he’d gotten proper sleep. He should have been ashamed to say he’d spent the entire trip dead to the world and drooling on Dirk’s shoulder, but he felt too good, too happy to be ashamed.

“So bro, you know this has been the best year of my life, and it’s all thanks to you.”

“Aw hell, don’t sell yourself short like that Dirk, you have a lot to do with your happiness. You made your life, and I just helped complete it more. And, you know? You helped complete my life too. Which is pretty fucking astounding because my life was already complete, but like you just added to the whole. I’m so glad I met you.”

Stunned into silence, Dirk quickly wiped tears from behind his shades before they could ruin the moment. He couldn’t cry just yet. “I- yeah. I mean, I wouldn’t say my life was complete, except you’d be sad and disappointed in me for that-”

“Dirk, you’re in your twenties. It’s chill if you don’t have your shit together. I’m not going to be disappointed because meeting me helped you get everything into a whole. Try not to be so hard on yourself because I promise I’m not judging; you’re doing that enough on your own.”

Fuck. Dirk scrubbed at his eyes again, chest aching with the pressure of D’s words as if the tears he was holding back were clogging his arteries. He needed to move on. “-All right. I- fuck, I appreciate that, but I don’t have time to unpack that all right now, so let’s put a pin in it and throw away the whole suitcase for now, ok? And, yeah, I know we’re on vacay for the next two weeks, but there was something I wanted to tell you, and if I don’t know, I’m afraid I might not ever.”

He took a few moments to consider. He was a nosy bitch, and worried about Dirk, but he seemed mostly all right. A little shaken, but not in a bad way. “All right, consider the suitcase pinned.”

Dirk took a deep breath and let it out slowly to steady himself. So far, so good now that he was back on track. “Well, I’m not sure how to say it, other than to say it, so- I love you D like romantically love you. I understand if you don’t, we are supposed to be brothers, and I don’t expect a thing to come of this. I just thought it was important you should know because loving you is what made my life complete.”

Oh, so that was why Dirk had bought them here. Suddenly with tears of his own, he rubbed them dry from behind his shades and pulled Dirk into a tight hug. Then, before he could protest, kissed him full on the lips. “I love you too, Dirk, in the same way. I know things would be complicated, I know the risks, but every one of them is worth it for you. 

There was no hiding his tears anymore. The relief, the shock, hearing that D loved him back was too overwhelming. He ended up crying all at once in big, noisy tears and heaving sobs, which felt like they were going to shake him apart. And yet, his heart was so swollen with happiness he thought he might start floating with giddiness if not for how he clung to his bro. 

“You’re worth everything to me too. I know we were kinda doing this already, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to kiss you, again and again, sleep in your bed, and wake up to more lazy weekends than I can count. I want to design you shit and have you tease me for my dumb neurosis and self-deprecating decapitating jokes because I feel so much love when you do. I feel good, the best I ever have, and like I’m more than worthy of your love. I know that’s a little fucked up, but fuck, like you said, I’m only in my early twenties. I don’t have all my shit together yet, but I will. I’m ready for this if you’ll have me.”

“Of course I’ll have you, Dirk, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He kissed Dirk again, with the waves lapping at their knees, to send the message home. They had a lot to figure out, but they’d navigate this shitstorm together.


End file.
